Lessons From My High School Yearbook
You’re not going to believe this, but I was kind of a goofball in high school. I know, I know, but seriously people would say things to me like; “you can never be serious,” and “you need to grow up,” and stuff like that. Mostly those people were friends of mine and were having fun (they weren’t being mean), but as a wise man once said to me; “There is truth in jest”.
In my 12th grade yearbook, my best friend in the whole world at the time (we were BFFs before BFFs were cool!) wrote (and I’ll never forget this) “Happiness is your best quality,”. I think it would have been easier on the eyes if he had written something to me like “you’re so smart,” or “you’re so strong,” or “handsomeness is your best quality,” but he didn’t. He said I was happy. It didn’t really seem to be a big deal to me at the time that I was happy. But looking back, I now think it was a cool thing that he wrote.
This Sunday in church, we’re going to be looking at and celebrating the good news of the coming of Jesus. The hope is that we would all live into that and discover the joy that comes with it as we declutter Christmas and allow this joy to blossom! We will be encouraged to set aside the hurry and the craziness of life and find peace, joy, and happiness in the birth and life of Jesus.
Some of my friends also wrote the phrase in my yearbook “never change.” I guess that was a compliment but stop for a moment and imagine never changing. Part of the good news is that we can change, and we do change. As Christ-followers that change leads us to joy!
Be sure to join us this Sunday as we continue to declutter and experience joy, real, abundant, deep, and fulfilling joy! See you then!
Rev. Dr. Joel Lusz
Pastor of Student and Family Ministries